How to Update Your Computer’s BIOS or UEFI (and When to Do It)
If you’re wondering what your computer’s BIOS or UEFI is and whether you need to update it, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll explain what these terms mean, what these programs do, and why it may (or may not) be a good idea to update them.
What do BIOS and UEFI mean?
BIOS (Basic Input Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is what every computer has, although unless you’re using an ancient computer, you’ll have UEFI installed rather than BIOS.
And here we’re dealing specifically with Windows computers: Macs take their own approach to this, since Apple controls the operating system, underlying motherboard, and chipset, as opposed to Microsoft and the PC manufacturers. On Apple computers, all you need to do is make sure macOS is up to date .
What do BIOS and UEFI do?
Your computer’s BIOS or UEFI is the lowest level of software, the most fundamental and underlying code running on your computer, often known as firmware. It runs from the motherboard, allows all of your computer’s components to communicate with each other, and does the necessary preparation to boot into Windows.
BIOS is an older technology; computers sold today use UEFI instead. Simply put, UEFI improves the fundamentals of the BIOS by adding support for more modern security standards and internal components. However, both BIOS and UEFI essentially do the same job.
With the advent of UEFI we also got some useful updates in terms of the user interface: you can now access the firmware using the mouse, whereas previously you were limited to keyboard operations. It also now allows you to access the Internet before you switch to the Windows operating system.
As is often the case with computer terms, BIOS and UEFI can sometimes be used interchangeably. If you see talk about BIOS on a modern computer, it is almost certainly talking about UEFI, since the latter has effectively replaced the former. There are also some pretty detailed technical differences, but most of us don’t need to know about them.
Should you update your BIOS or UEFI?
This is a big question and you will find many answers on the Internet. A good general approach is to not worry too much about BIOS/UEFI updates unless you’re having problems or your PC manufacturer has advised you to run an update. These updates are not as important for performance and security as Windows updates.
However, BIOS/UEFI updates can significantly improve security and performance. According to Dell , the updates can improve “performance, stability, and compatibility with new software and hardware.” Meanwhile, HP recommends updates if you need to support new hardware or fix known bugs and issues.
There’s no doubt that you can completely lock down your computer by updating the firmware, but the same is true for updating Windows or upgrading your hard drive. If you follow your PC manufacturer’s or your PC’s motherboard’s instructions, you shouldn’t have any problems – although perhaps double-check that all your backups are up to date.
I would recommend keeping an eye on updates from the company that made your computer or manufactured the motherboard inside it (search for and run “System Information” in the Start menu to determine your motherboard). If the BIOS/UEFI update is urgent or if the update will add some important new features, you should inquire about it.
How to update BIOS or UEFI
The exact method for updating your computer’s BIOS or UEFI will depend on the make and model of the motherboard installed. Traditionally, BIOS/UEFI updates were performed by running the utility from a USB drive and rebooting the computer, but today you’ll likely have a variety of options to choose from.
For example, if you have a Dell computer, you have no less than seven different upgrade options to choose from. The easiest option is to use the Dell SupportAssist utility or look for firmware fixes in Windows Update: in both cases, you can take care of everything through Windows, without any additional software.
I have an Asus motherboard, which means that the MyAsus BIOS/UEFI update utility and the latest updates themselves are available through the Asus Download Center . Other motherboard manufacturers have similar portals that allow you to search for the model you have and find the latest utilities for it.
As for accessing the BIOS/UEFI itself, the process for doing so also depends on the PC: usually when your PC boots up, it will tell you the key to press to get to the BIOS/UEFI instead of Windows. In Windows itself, you can open Settings, then choose System > Recovery and click Restart Now next to Advanced Startup . When your computer restarts, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings .